Summary: Talking about what Christ did on the cross being able to forgive anyone of anything.

This morning I’d like to start by taking a look at why Paul wrote the book of Romans in the first place. Some would say it was to rally support for his upcoming mission in Spain that he hoped to go on. (That’s where he was headed after he left Greece, where we wrote the letter, and then went to Jerusalem.) Still others would say he was concerned about the health of the Church of Rome, and that’s why he wrote it. (I mean he was concerned with the church, and rightfully so, he helped start it.) I think that both of those reasons could be true. However, I believe his main purpose was the passion he had to see his fellow Jews accept their Messiah. I would even go on to say not just the Jews, but the whole world. You see, Paul starts off Romans by telling what the Jews already knew, that you should serve God. You should be serving God in whatever aspect He has called you too. If you haven’t accepted His will for your life, and you haven’t committed one hundred percent to Him, then eventually you will backslid. If God has called you to do something, and you’re still doing things your own way, then you will eventually slip back into sin. If you are not serving God, and you haven’t committed your life to Him, then you are living a sin filled life. Paul then goes on to talk about the knowledge of God, and the sinful fall of all humanity, not just the Jews. (By one man sin entered the world, and by only one Man sin can be forgiven. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.) Well, then we get to the part of his writing where these verses come in, that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. This is where not only the Jews, but some of you here today have trouble, and you won’t let Christ come and bring justification to you. You see, because of Jesus Christ, you can be forgiven of sins, and have peace in your heart and soul. The price Jesus Christ paid for us on the cross was too expensive not to cover our sins.

You say, “Brett that just doesn’t make sense. Why would any father in their right mind give their son to die? Furthermore, why would any son be crazy enough not to fight against him for wanting him to die?” Well let’s look at what Paul said, and you would be right. It is extremely rare that someone would die for someone else. If you were standing at the bank one day, and all of a sudden someone came in and starting shooting a gun, you would most likely hit the floor, and hope the bullets miss you! (That’s what I wound do!) It is very rare that some random person would jump in front of a bullet for you, so you’re going to try to get out of the way. Now, Paul goes on to say that for a good person one might dare to die. Let’s say at that this bank there’s a teller and a security guard, and they’ve been working together for five or six years, and they know each other very well; they are best friends. This guard thinks of that teller as a “good” person. It would be possible that he might jump in front of that bullet to save them. He thinks of that teller as a good person, remember, Paul said for a “good” person maybe. However, this would be very rare, but more likely than the first incident where a perfect stranger took the bullet for someone else. Now at this same bank a husband and wife are standing in line. This couple has been together for fifteen years, and they are madly in love with other. They’re more in love today than yesterday, and more so than last year, or two years ago, or when they first got married. Now some of you are sitting out there saying, “Brett, I know where you’re heading, and yes, I would do the same thing.” I would say this morning that husband, without a moment’s hesitation, would jump in front of that bullet to save his wife. “But Brett, they’re married to each other, they’ve been good to each other, and the husband is only doing what someone who loves someone would do? How come God through His Son Jesus did that for sinners?” That’s what Paul is saying. We weren’t even serving Christ, we had in fact turned our backs on Him and God, yet still, Christ came and died for sinners. Why? Why would He do that? The answers clear: He did what someone who loves someone else would do, He died in their place. You see God loves you so much. The kind of love that man had for his wife doesn’t even come close to the love He has for you, and for me, and for all the lost people. He wants to be with you, to comfort you, to forgive you, and much more then all of that He wants you spend eternity with Him in Heaven. I want you to think for a moment about someone that has passed away, and is now waiting in Heaven for you. I think of someone who was really close to me like—my Great Grandma Thomas. See grandma couldn’t drive, read, or write, and as soon as I was big enough, I would go over to her house, and spend the night when I had no school the next day, and I would help here with her grocery shopping. Grandma was a very special person to me, and I to her. Now think of someone you’ve never met that’s in Heaven this morning. My Great Grandpa Thomas who died in 1981 before I was even born. He accepted Christ only months before he died. There’s coming a day when those of us who’ve accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour will get to see those people that have gone onto Heaven. But more than all the people I’m waiting to see and who are waiting to see me; I’m wanting and I’m waiting most of all to see Jesus. To thank Him personally for dying on that cross just for me. And the only way He could make a way for us to get to heaven, was to make a way to get rid of our sins. He has to forgive you, because a Holy God cannot, and will not be around, or tolerate sin. And the only way to forgive sins was to have someone who was without sin, take upon our sins, to live, and to die to bring us to a place where we can have eternal life with Him. The songwriter said: